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🚨MUST-MUST-MUST WATCH🚨 Extreme Struggles➡️Pain➡️ Determination➡️Success Goooooooosebumps! 🇮🇳 WUG SILVER🥈MEDALIST SEEMA TALKS TO SPORTS ARENA 🔸Lost her father early, had to battle society to take up sports & mother's support 🔸Redemption feel- Special🥈! 🔸Targets 🔸Hunger to win Medals for 🇮🇳 #WUG2025 #FISUGames #FISU2025

28,757 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr •via X (Twitter)

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Bangaly Kaba (Bangaly Kaba) was head of growth at Instagram, an early growth PM at Facebook, VP of Product at Instacart, and is currently Director of Product at YouTube overseeing a global team working on creator monetization. Bangaly is on multiple boards, has been a growth advisor to dozens of consumer companies, (including Twitter), and rarely talks publicly. In our conversation, Bangaly shares: 🔸 A framework for choosing where to work and what to work on 🔸 Why you need time for “understand work” 🔸 The “adjacent users” theory 🔸 Advice for coaching product managers 🔸 Invaluable lessons and wild stories from his time at Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube 🔸 Much more Listen now 👇 - YouTube: - Spotify: - Apple: Some key takeaways: 1. To advance your career, focus on creating impact: impact = skills x environment. a. Environment is everything that enables you to do great work that is outside of your direct control, including: manager, resources, team, scope, compensation, and culture. b. Skills are things that are within your direct control that enable your success: communication (the most impactful), influence/leadership, strategic thinking, and execution. 2. Understanding “adjacent users” can be a key to unlocking new stages of growth. Adjacent users are the next segment of people who can benefit from your product and are showing interest but are not quite converting and retaining how you’d hope. You can identify these users by looking for cohorts showing signals that your product is almost a fit (e.g. signing up) but not quite working (e.g. churning at high rates). For example, at one point, Instacart’s core user base may have been office admins ordering food for their staff, but the adjacent user was a mom of four ordering groceries. The mom of four has very different needs, so it would be important for Instacart to build for those in order to grow into the new segment. 3. Bangaly says to view product management as analogous to coaching a sports team. Just like in sports, not everyone needs to be a star player, but everyone plays a crucial role in achieving success. Similarly, the success of individual team members reflects back on the leader. Investing time and effort into coaching and developing team members not only benefits them but also enhances the leader’s effectiveness in their role. 4. Before executing on a product idea, do “understand work” to truly understand pain points, alternatives, and, ultimately, the best opportunities. Too often, teams have an idea, find some data to justify it, and then start executing. And too often, this leads to failed experiments. Instead, invest time up front in understanding what is happening through things like data instrumentation, data analysis, or talking to users. This translates to “going slow to go fast” because the up-front investment will turn into much higher experiment win rates, especially as lessons compound over time. 5. Use the “Managing Complex Change” framework to diagnose and solve barriers to change in a given team or area. The framework lays out five things a team needs in order to change: a. Vision b. Skills c. Incentives d. Resources e. Action plan If you are missing any one of these, you get a different style of negative outcome, instead of the change you want. For example, having everything except vision causes confusion, and having everything except the right incentives causes resistance. Since these negative outcomes can be felt and observed in the team, you can work backward from them to their cause. Once you know the precise cause, you can solve it to unlock change.

Lenny Rachitsky

105,930 Aufrufe • vor 2 Jahren

Turning pain into purpose 🧡 I never imagined my post would reach so many. If there is one theme and take away I have taken from it- it’s the shared desire from us all to simply know others care. It’s what makes us all human. It also highlighted just how many want to help but don’t know how. People who deeply care about their loved ones but didn’t reach out because they were afraid of saying the wrong thing or bothering them, not knowing the pain their absence or lack of words may have caused. I wanted to share because I’ve been on both sides of the fence, even as a cancer patient myself. This post was even partially inspired by my own guilt from a friend who passed recently- who I thought I’d have more time with. Someone I was in contact with often but wished I told them how much they meant to me. None of us are perfect and we all do the best we can but at the end of the day, it isn’t about big grand gestures or knowing the right words to take away the pain. It’s about simply being there through it. If you’re unsure what to say, here are a few examples that folks have crowd sourced of things that are impactful: 🔸“Just thinking about you” messages 🔸Pictures/gifs/videos 🔸Specific offers to help (bring food, watch pets, rides to appointments) 🔸Offers to help take care of household chores (lawn, house cleaning etc) 🔸Post cards/letters periodically to let them know they’re on your mind 🔸Care packages 🔸Texts/messages/calls (knowing they may not always respond) Little efforts go a long way ❤️ Many have asked how I’m doing since my post and I have to say I feel beyond fortunate to be where I am these days. There was a time I wasn’t sure I’d see past 30. I was already stage IV when I was diagnosed and things didn’t look great. But coming up on 3 years later, I am happy to share that I currently have no active cancer and have been fortunate to be able channel the pain from those early days into purpose I spent 1.5 years before I was diagnosed, struggling to be heard and trying to convince others something was wrong. So chronic illness fighters, I see you. The first emotion I felt when I heard I had stage IV cancer was relief that someone believed me. The day I shared my diagnosis, I was flooded with support that I know many of you don’t get as you struggle to track down a diagnosis of your own I have a one in a million cancer, so I also know the pain and uncertainty that comes with an endless stream of unanswered questions and unknowns In the absence of support from others- I want you to know I see and feel your pain and I encourage others who have friends or loved ones that are struggling with any battle to take the time to let them know you care. Your small gestures will always be remembered Someone I look up to a lot (Chris Johnson Foundation Inc.) recently described the act of refocusing their most difficult days as turning their pain into purpose, which resonates with me deeply So much of my outlook has been influenced by facing a bleak prognosis and feeling like I was given a second chance Today’s been a crazy day, seeing this post go viral and wanting to send a giant hug to so many of you- while also having a bit of a surreal and milestone day myself Today, was not only my first day at a new job, a nonprofit very close to my heart that’s moving research forward for rare cancers But I also found myself on the cover of one of the largest cancer magazines, which honestly just feels crazy I promised myself if I ever reached no active cancer, I’d dedicate the gift of time I was given to helping other patients who may come behind me. I give away everything I make from advocacy to research, including 100% of my portion of the earnings from a memoir I’ve been writing Today I feel insanely grateful to have been able to turn my pain into purpose and I hold all of you in my thoughts who are still in the thick of it. My words may not be able to take it all away but I stand with you in solidarity through the pain.

Katie Coleman

28,510 Aufrufe • vor 2 Jahren

THE SILVER SELL-OFF IS BRUTAL – BUT DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF SELLING TOO Silver just broke hard. Gold slipped under 4000. Silver crashed to 56. If you bought anywhere near the January high near 121, roughly half your position has vanished and it feels like the bottom may never arrive. But the number flashing on the screen is lying about what is actually happening. The sellers dumping metal right now are handing their ounces to buyers who see a sale, not a verdict. THE CORE THESIS Silver didn't get less valuable this week. The dollar got stronger. And that is a completely different thing. ➡️ The US dollar index just pushed above 101 for the first time in about a year. ➡️ When the dollar rips, every asset priced in dollars gets repriced lower almost automatically because it now takes fewer of those stronger dollars to buy the same ounce. ➡️ This is not the market rejecting silver. This is the measuring stick getting longer. ➡️ The Fed's new dot plot shows roughly half the committee projecting at least one rate hike this year, with traders pricing in as many as three quarter-point hikes before year end. THE DOUBLE HIT SILVER ALWAYS TAKES Silver wears two hats and both are getting slammed at the same time. ➡️ It is a monetary metal fighting the strong dollar. ➡️ It is also an industrial metal facing slower growth fears from higher rates. ➡️ That combination is exactly why silver falls roughly twice as hard as gold in moves like this. ➡️ The gold to silver ratio blows out because it is the nature of silver, not a flaw in silver. THE MECHANICAL SELLING DRIVING THE PAIN A lot of this selling is not anyone deciding silver is a bad investment. It is forced. ➡️ Margin requirements got jacked up. Leverage players had to dump their most liquid holdings to raise cash. ➡️ Stop losses tripped. ETFs rebalanced. The selling turned violent and mechanical. ➡️ This kind of forced selling eventually burns out when the sellers run out of metal they are willing to dump. ➡️ Conviction buyers do not run out of conviction. They are the ones quietly stepping in. THE PHYSICAL MARKET TELLS THE TRUTH The spot price is getting shoved around by macro forces and margin. The physical market is doing something very different underneath. ➡️ When metal gets crushed on the screen you would expect a flood of people dumping physical. That is not mostly what is walking in the door. ➡️ Yes, capitulation sellers who bought the top are handing over ounces. ➡️ But serious buyers are stepping in with both hands because to them a strong dollar selloff is a sale, not a verdict. "The weak hands are handing their ounces to the strong hands. That's what a bottoming process actually looks like." ➡️ Premiums on real coins and bars are holding firm and even rising. Demand is alive and well if you watch the all-in price instead of just spot. THE LONG-TERM MATH HAS NOT CHANGED The reasons you own silver in the first place are still sitting right there. ➡️ The debt has not gone anywhere. ➡️ Currency debasement over time has not gone anywhere. ➡️ Central banks are still net buyers. ➡️ The long-term destination remains 120 silver. This selloff does not erase the thesis. WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK ➡️ Do not sell into this panic unless you genuinely need the cash inside the next two years. ➡️ If you must raise cash, sell generic rounds and bars first. Protect your sovereign coins and anything inside your IRA. ➡️ For long-term buyers this is a sale, but watch the all-in price not just spot. Ladder your buys and keep dry powder. ➡️ Stress test how you hold your metal. If you have paper claims this is the week to move toward allocated segregated storage or take delivery. THE BOTTOM LINE The metal did not change this week. The dollar did. Don't let a strong dollar and a scary headline talk you out of the one asset they cannot print. Before you hit that button ask yourself one honest question. Do I actually need this money in the next 24 months? If the answer is no, you are not escaping a collapse. You are selling your insurance in the middle of the storm to the very people who will be happy to sell it back to you later at a much higher price. HT: YouTube Summit Metals #SilverSelloff #DontSellSilver #DollarStrength #PhysicalSilver #Stacking #PreciousMetals #SilverStacker

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32,014 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat

💢 Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim discussed the growing push for generating civil unrest inside Iran on the Drop Site livestream this morning. Here are the key developments shaping the picture: 🔸 1. Israel targets Iran’s internal security forces with assassinations across the city The Israeli military says it killed Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani and struck “more than 10” Basij posts across Tehran in the past day, part of what it calls a sustained effort to target the force responsible for internal control. The IDF said these forces were operating from sites “embedded within public areas in the heart of Tehran,” including a compound that had “previously functioned as a football club,” highlighting that strikes are hitting densely populated civilian spaces while targeting the very apparatus positioned to contain unrest Israel is simultaneously trying to help ignite. 🔸 2. Washington Post: Israel expects protesters will be “slaughtered” A leaked U.S. cable reviewed by The Washington Post shows Israel is publicly urging Iranians to rise up while privately warning any mass protests would be crushed, with officials saying “the people will get slaughtered.” The assessment states the government is “not cracking” and is prepared to “fight to the end,” with the IRGC holding the upper hand—while Israel is also urging Washington to be ready to support an uprising despite anticipating a deadly crackdown. 🔸 3. Drop Site: warnings of imminent unrest University of Tehran professor Foad Izadi told Drop Site “they are going to do their best, today…to create some level of riots,” pointing to an expected push to trigger unrest within hours. Jeremy Scahill said he is hearing the same from Iranian officials, who anticipate “domestic strife” and attempts to spur protests, while warning authorities view such activity as wartime treason and are prepared to “shoot to kill” if demonstrations turn violent, as seen during earlier unrest this year. 🔸 4. Pahlavi calls for protests Iran’s U.S.-based opposition figure Reza Pahlavi says the “moment is soon,” arguing the weakening of the state brings a return to the streets closer. He warned the government “has no hesitation in suppressing people” and is “prepared to see hundreds of thousands killed” to stay in power, while insisting the movement must proceed carefully until a “final call” is made. 🔸 5. Netanyahu frames assassinations as opening path to regime change Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is “shaking this regime” and that killing senior Iranian leaders is meant to give Iranians an “opportunity to take control of their destiny.” “If we persevere,” he said, “we will give them the opportunity to take control,” explicitly tying ongoing assassinations and strikes to creating conditions for the government’s collapse from within. 🔸 6. Scahill: unrest strategy may rely on provoking a crackdown Jeremy Scahill warned the push for protests appears tied to a strategy of escalation, where some actors anticipate that if people are “gunned down in the streets” or events can be framed as a “massacre,” it could generate the momentum they currently lack. He described this as a “cynical weaponization” of real anti-government sentiment, arguing it reflects a belief that shock, bloodshed, and images of repression could be used to drive a broader uprising rather than one emerging organically. Ryan Grim | jeremy scahill

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233,486 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten

VIDEO: Watch Charlie Kirk's last words to me Just a few months before he was murdered, Charlie Kirk and I were talking about the state of things in Canada. He was worried about Mark Carney’s election and what might happen to freedom — and to Rebel News. We spoke for more than half an hour. He really cared about our country. He knew a lot about Rebel News, especially our battles for free speech. And he was worried whenever one of our journalists were arrested. Watch the video above to see what he said to me. We talked about what life was like in a country without the First Amendment to protect our free speech. And then he asked me: “Are you guys going to give up?” I told him we’ll never give up. It’s our duty fight for freedom. Like we have for ten full years at Rebel News, thanks to viewers like you. You are the reason I was able to tell him we’d always fight. Because we rely on you, instead of relying on grants from Mark Carney. We’re independent. We take no government money. So we can fight back. We do great journalism, from the trucker convoy in 2022 to the ostrich farm siege in 2025. We have reporters across the country, including in Quebec. But every once in a while we don’t just write about a problem. We stop and get involved in the battle, too, to try to fix it. Like fighting for thousands of people who received huge Covid fines. Defending Christian pastors. Crowdfunding the battle for Tamara Lich. Paying for the lawyer for the Ontario man who defended his house from a home invasion robbery. Standing up for the little guy. It’s that activist side that Charlie loved about us. All of the things Charlie worried about for America are getting worse in Canada in 2026. That’s why Charlie asked me if I’d stay in the battle. He was counting on Rebel News to fight — to cover the news, especially the news that other media won’t cover. He wanted us to continue to take on corruption, and mass immigration, and censorship and to go out among the people and tell their stories, and help fight their battles. He’d be thrilled to know that we have hired Tamara Lich as our newest Rebel. And he’d be excited that we’re going to put her on a campus tour, like Charlie himself would do. I think that’s what he’d want Rebel News to do. What do you think he’d want YOU to do? Mainly, I think he’d want you to not give up, to not be demoralized. To find the energy and hope and faith to keep fighting. And I’d like to think that he’d want you to continue to support us. I won’t presume to speak for him, but he knew we had no big backers — just a lot of little backers, through crowdfunding. He liked that about us. When Charlie told me to keep fighting, I never thought it would be his last request of me. We mention Charlie a fair bit at the Rebel News office; in the new year, Tamara Lich will go from college to college convincing young people to believe in freedom, just like Charlie did. We’re going to have to hire a lot of security for Tamara. In my mind that’s the best way for us to live up to Charlie’s expectations of us, don’t you think? May I invite you to join us, to help me keep my final promise to Charlie? I need your help to protect Tamara, and all of our Rebel journalists who bravely go into the world. We need to pay for security guards, because police just won’t stop Antifa thugs, or transgender extremists. If you contribute $100 or more, we’ll invite you on a special donors-only Zoom call early in the new year, where you can chat with me, Tamara, and our other reporters directly. And any donations of $1,000 or more will also get a one-on-one thank-you phone call from Tamara herself! I want to keep my promise to Charlie, and to you, and to my conscience: I told him I wouldn’t give up, even if things get tough. And I intend to keep that promise. If you can help me — by helping me keep our reporters safe — please do so further down below on this page. Thanks. Charlie Kirk was killed because he was effective at spreading the message of freedom to young people. I believe we can honour his memory by recreating his campus tour here in Canada, featuring Tamara Lich, our newest Rebel reporter. I just need your help with security — we must do what we can to protect her. Please help. Rebel News does ten news stories a day — we tell the other side, as our motto says. But what Charlie loved most about us was when we did things in the world, like Tamara’s upcoming campus tour. Can you please help me make that tour a reality by helping us crowdfund the security for it? Any donation of $100 or more will get you on a private Zoom call with other donors to talk to Tamara and our other reporters! And any donation of $1,000 will also get you a personal one-on-one phone call from her. REPORT by Ezra Levant 🍁🚛:

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🚨🚨 HEZBOLLAH FINAL SPEECH | THREATENS ESCALATION FINAL PART OF HEZBOLLAH LEADER SPEECH - THREATENS ESCALATION AND REGIONAL WAR! HEZBOLLAH LEADER SPEECH KEY QUOTES (PART 8 - FINAL): - The Islamic resistance in Iraq has begun to bear its responsibility and announced that it may enter a new phase We must not despair of demanding responsibility for what is happening in Gaza - We have entered the battle since October 8th Yemeni missiles and marches will reach Eilat and Israeli military bases - We took note of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, as did the whole world, and we quickly moved from one stage to another. - If we look at what is happening on the border objectively, we will find it very important and significant - What is happening on our Lebanese front is unprecedented in the history of the Israeli entity - We will not be satisfied with what is happening on our front in any case - Our operations on the border target enemy vehicles, soldiers, and equipment - The Islamic resistance in Lebanon has been waging a real battle since October 8 that only those who are actually present at the border can feel. - The Islamic resistance is waging a different battle in terms of its titles, tools, and targets - Approximately 57 martyrs, including the Phalange Brigades, in addition to the martyrs of the Al-Qassam and Al-Quds Brigades. - On Saturday, October 7, the enemy, according to his forces, started from the border with Lebanon to take them to Gaza in light of the state of moral collapse. - The Lebanese Front has relieved a large portion of the forces that were to be used to attack Gaza. The operations that began and escalated forced the enemy to keep its forces at the border and mobilize more of them. - The resistance front in Lebanon was able to attract a third of the Israeli army to the border with Lebanon - 43 settlements in northern occupied Palestine were evacuated due to our operations - The settlers evacuated from the north and south are putting pressure on the moral and economic levels. If our position of solidarity had been political, the Israelis would have been comfortable on the northern border and its forces would have gone to Gaza. - The operations on the border have created a state of anxiety, anticipation, and fear among the enemy leadership and even in Washington - There is concern that this front will spiral into a comprehensive war, and the enemy is taking every account of that - The possibility of the Lebanese front sliding into a wide battle is a realistic possibility - Israel must be concerned about the expansion of war and escalation - Our operations make the enemy calculate its steps towards Lebanon and it adjusts its pace for fear of deteriorating matters - Our daily operations on the border make the enemy a deterrent - Our operations tell the enemy that it will commit the greatest foolishness in the history of its existence if it attacks Lebanon - Our operations and the sacrifices of our people are an expression of our solidarity with Gaza to relieve pressure on its people - We were told from the day of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood that the American fleets would bomb us and came for us - Our front is a front of solidarity with Gaza and it develops and moves according to developments there. - The enemy’s behavior towards Lebanon is a determinant of our movements, and this will return us to the rule of civilian versus civilian. - All possibilities on our Lebanese front are open - All options are on the table and we can go to them at any time - Threats and intimidation against us and the resistance fighters in our region are of no use - We must all be ready for all possibilities and options - We received messages that America will bomb Iran if we continue our operations in the south - Those who defeated you in the early 1980s are still alive, and with them today are their children and grandchildren - You can stop the aggression against Gaza because it is your aggression, and whoever wants to prevent a regional war must hasten to stop this aggression. - In the event of any regional war, your interests and soldiers will be the victim and the biggest loser. - We have made 'preparations' for the American ships, and we ask America to remember their defeats in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon - America has sent us messages, that they will bomb Iran if we continue. How dare you threaten our resistance? Your ships in the Mediterranean don't scare us, and be sure that we made preparations for them - I assure the Americans, in case of a regional war, their ships and the air force will pay a heavy price - Our battle has not reached the stage of victory by knockout, but we are winning with points - On the horizon, we are all fighting a battle of steadfastness. Our battle has not reached the stage of victory by knockout, and we still need time, but we are winning. - We must work for Gaza to be victorious and for the resistance to be victorious in Gaza - We still need time, but we will win with points. This is how we won in 2006 in Gaza, and this is how the resistance in the West Bank achieved achievements - I say to our people in Gaza and the West Bank and to all oppressed peoples that patience will result in victory. - We bear responsibility, and our steadfastness and patience will result in certain victory, God willing. - We have a belief in God's promise, that he will make the believers victorious, and God always fulfills his promise

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2,194,010 Aufrufe • vor 2 Jahren

Sara Nelson, head of the Association of Flight Attendants union, talks about plans to shut down critical infrastructure as part of the insurgency against ICE. What she describes is a textbook case of how unions and other civic organizations use the power of their membership to join insurgencies. "I called on the labor movement to talk about a general strike" in solidarity with the operation against ICE, Nelson says in this February 1 Zoom call. The general strike is planned to take place on May 1, which is International Workers Day (more on that later). What she Nelson says is revealing. It shows the raw emotion and ideological extremism of the flight attendants' union, and how the union leadership exploits the membership to force a strike to support the anti-ICE operation. Pay attention to her use of words: "General strike." In revolutionary practice, a general strike is not to meet economic or labor demands, but to challenge and overthrow the political and economic order by paralyzing the economy and imposing hardship on the public. This is a term of insurrection or insurgency. It creates parallel power structures. Leon Trotsky viewed general strikes as the last step before armed insurrection. "Capitalism unchecked." Anarchists and Marxists have different views of this term, but in general, the term is understood to mean that capitalism is irredeemably evil and oppressive, and that oppression must be resisted or "checked." It does not mean checks and balances in the American sense. It implies the urgency of action to check the oppressor. Repetition of "fight" and "demand." Working-class movements that exhort people to "fight" and "demand" are calling for class struggle against established institutions. The words are not metaphors, but calls for direct action to build toward the overthrow of existing society. Demands are ultimatums that provide focus for the fight. "Jacobin." Nelson recommends a reading from the website about unions organizing against ICE. The Jacobins were he most extreme element of the French Revolution, the Robespierre faction that orchestrated The Terror and the mass beheadings with the guillotine. Marx, Engels, and Lenin praised the Jacobins. In her 11-minute monologue, Nelson dwells heavily on working class history, tying an industry-specific "safety strike" to labor conflicts from 1981 and 1914, and extending solidarity to a larger cause that has nothing to do with the airline industry, safety, or organized labor. She calls for acts of "redemption" for unions' failure to stand by Air Traffic Controllers strike from 44 years ago. She combines "massive inequality" and "capitalism unchecked" with "private prisons," "slavery," and "ICE." She demonizes the entire free enterprise system: "We have to be really clear that Capitalism has no humanity attached whatsoever." Nelson urges people lot read a article about "why unions need to care about this movement and need to make immigration central to the concerns of union members." Her approach is a rehash of Stalin's Comintern-era "popular front" broad coalition strategy: "The capitalists have used racism and sexism to divide us" and "the immigrants and refugees to try to divide us as well." "The only way that we can build up power is if we do it collectively," she adds. Nelson frames the mass hiring of ICE agents in old Marxist class struggle terms. In her words, the Trump administration is providing "good paying jobs" at ICE to be "pitted against the rest of the working class." More pure class struggle words, straight out of Marx and Lenin: "It's also important, as a union leader myself, that we all have to be preparing for a general strike. We all have to be preparing for that strike readiness. That is fundamentally the check on capitalism." The flight attendants' union chief says that many in her organization don't "understand" the urgency: "I have more work to do in my own union on this ... and we are starting to see this seep into our airports" with ICE agents pursuing targets on aircraft. She explains, in her own words, why the Association of Flight Attendants union is tied directly to "mass action" and "getting into the streets": "For the people who are trying to get the tools tonight about what to do next, understand that the only way that we are going to have mass action is if everyone understands what the problem is," Nelson says. "And if everyone understands what the demands are about why we're getting into the streets. The people of Minneapolis understand this very well because the fight was brought to their doorsteps." (Gets emotional, chokes back tears.) There is no alternative but to fight, she says: "People have no choice but to fight." She talks about a 1914 strike of immigrant coal miners. "They were experiencing what Minneapolis is experiencing today. They were experiencing violence from the state." (Chokes up again) Nelson whips up a siege mentality to put people in a fighting mood: "we have to organize. ... we have to talk about the fight that is coming to our doorsteps all across this country. We have to organize around that. We have to set our demands. The people of Minnesota have set their demands, and they're very clear about it. It is immediate demands, about ICE out...." She is not calling for pressure on politicians as much as pressure on the private companies that keep America running. In her words: "this is not about putting pressure on the White House. This is about putting pressure on the people who control our economy. So define the problem, set your demands, back up your demands with what you are willing to do - that is the strike readiness that you're preparing for - and add urgency. And in this moment there could not be more urgency. So we stand with you and we are preparing and having those conversations in our union about how to shut it down ...."

J Michael Waller

90,996 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten

Press Conference on Filing a Criminal Complaint Against ADOR for Alleged Leakage of NewJeans Member Hanni's Personal Information - Kim Sung-soo, Cultural Critic - Attorney Park Kang-hoon To the respected people of Korea, and to the members of the press gathered here today, We stand before you today with heavy hearts, but with an unwavering determination that we cannot and will not back down. Today, we are submitting a criminal complaint against ADOR Co., Ltd. and its executives and employees for alleged violations of the Personal Information Protection Act. There was a young woman. An artist in her early twenties who came to a foreign country out of her love for Korean popular culture and, through nothing but her sincerity on stage, comforted the hearts of countless people. For her, a residency visa was not just a piece of paperwork, it was a lifeline that sustained her life in this country. Yet that lifeline, her most sensitive and vulnerable personal information, was ruthlessly cast before the public by the very agency that was supposed to protect her. The expiration date of a foreign resident's visa and the progress of any extension application are information known only to the immigration authorities, the individual concerned, and the agency handling the matter on the individual's behalf. Not even journalists could obtain access to such highly confidential internal information through ordinary reporting. So how could this top-secret information have found its way into the public domain behind the anonymous curtain of "multiple music industry officials"? For a young woman in her twenties who came from another country, her agency was not merely a company. It should have been her only guardian in place of the parents who were far away, and the strongest shelter protecting her from the storms of the world. Instead, that very shelter invited the wolves inside, exposing her most vulnerable point to be torn apart. Faced with this cruel betrayal, the agency stabbing an artist in the back after she entrusted them with her youth, we cannot help but ask, as fellow human beings: What, exactly, was worth protecting that justified going this far? This was not a simple case of negligence in which information accidentally leaked due to poor management. It was a deliberate and malicious act of exploiting an artist's greatest vulnerability to gain an advantage in a private legal dispute. As the conflict over the exclusive contract intensified, visa-related information was leaked to the media in an attempt to neutralize the artist's position by creating the narrative that she was an "illegal immigrant." The consequences were devastating. Despite the fact that her visa remained valid, distorted reports flooded the media describing her as "currently an illegal immigrant." Dozens of articles even included the phrase "illegal immigrant" directly in their headlines. Eventually, reports were even filed with the authorities accusing her of being an illegal resident. Can you imagine the overwhelming fear a young woman in her twenties must have felt when she woke up one morning in a foreign country to find the horrifying scarlet letter of "illegal immigrant" branded before her name? A visa is not merely an administrative document. It is like an oxygen supply that allows someone to breathe, to step onto the stage they love and to meet the people who cherish them. Yet the agency seized control of that oxygen line, even sending emails to the artist and her parents conveying the message that "if you do not consent, you could become an illegal resident," thereby placing them under pressure. And what must her parents have felt, having sent their precious child alone to a distant foreign land? They could do nothing but helplessly watch from across the sea as the dream their child had built through tireless effort, and, more importantly, their child's dignity, was stripped bare and torn apart. Unable to bear the pain in her place or even rush to embrace her, they expressed their anguish through tears, stating: "Speculative reports are even being published about the type of visa and its expiration date , personal information that there is no obligation to disclose, causing severe violations of our rights and interests." The purpose of the Personal Information Protection Act is to protect individuals' freedoms and rights and to uphold their dignity and value. An individual's right to informational self-determination, the right to pursue happiness guaranteed under Article 10 of the Constitution, and the right to privacy guaranteed under Article 17 are fundamental rights that no one has the authority to trample upon. The foundation of the entertainment industry is trust between artists and the public. If the personal information of artists, who deserve the highest level of protection, can instead be turned into a weapon in a dispute, then this goes far beyond a private conflict between one agency and one artist. It gravely undermines trust in the healthy ecosystem of the entire popular culture and arts industry. Those who actually carried out the information leak remain hidden behind the anonymous label of "multiple music industry officials." Their identities cannot easily be uncovered through ordinary administrative investigations or voluntary inquiries alone. Only compulsory investigative measures, such as searches and seizures and the examination of communications records, can clearly establish the source of the personal information leak, the route by which it spread, and the individuals responsible. Accordingly, we earnestly request that the investigative authorities: First, thoroughly determine the source and transmission route through which the personal information was provided to the media. Second, identify the individuals responsible who remain hidden behind this veil of anonymity. Third, hold the corporation accountable for its management and supervisory responsibilities so that personal information is never again weaponized as a tool in private disputes. To the respected people of Korea, The dream that a young woman carried to a foreign land must never be crushed in this way. This is not merely the story of one idol standing beneath bright stage lights. It is the story of every young person in our time who devotes everything they have in pursuit of a better tomorrow. It is also the story of someone's beloved daughter. If corporations wielding enormous capital and power are permitted to exploit an individual's vulnerabilities and trample upon their dignity, then there will be no young person left in our society who can safely dream without fear. This criminal complaint is not simply about restoring one individual's reputation. It is about protecting the dignity and rights of everyone striving to pursue their dreams in this country. We sincerely ask for the continued attention and support of the public and the media so that the truth may be revealed and justice may prevail. Thank you.

1tokki

128,010 Aufrufe • vor 9 Tagen

Please join me in fighting the Death Cult. If you have followed me for any amount of time, you have seen that I am a tireless advocate for young people getting married and having kids. I think it is one of the most important things I talk about on social media. Simply put, I want the human race to thrive and flourish. I want the USA to be strong. I want our society to constantly build toward a better future. And that requires kids. Without kids none of those things happen. I talk a lot about my marriage to Laila, which is the greatest decision I ever made in my life. I talk about my three kids endlessly. I talk about how much joy being a father brings me. People probably get sick of it. But I feel like I am a participant in a deadly serious battle. My enemy is the Death Cult. The Death Cult is what I call the loose alliance of people and programs and trends that are relentlessly trying to shrink the human population on planet Earth. The Death Cult is well-funded, and its members sit at the highest levels of government, business, media, and education. Is the Death Cult a group that disavows its mission and operates from the shadows? No, it is overt. They have been very straightforward in announcing their goals. Just listen to some of their quotes: 1) Paul R. Ehrlich (Biologist, Author: The Population Bomb) “We must have population control at home, hopefully through a system of incentives and penalties, but by compulsion if voluntary methods fail.” 2) Carl Sagan (Astronomer & Media Figure) “Our job is to bring about a worldwide demographic transition and flatten out that exponential curve…” 3) Maurice Strong (International Environmental Policymaker) “Either we reduce the world’s population voluntarily or nature will do this for us, but brutally.” 4) Jacques Cousteau (Explorer & Environmental Advocate) “In order to stabilize world population, we must eliminate 350,000 people per day. It is a horrible thing to say…” 5 ) Jane Goodall (Naturalist) “All these things we talk about wouldn’t be a problem if there was the size of population that there was 500 years ago.” [a population reduction of 95%!!!] If I had to pick a standard-bearer for the Death Cult, it would be media mogul Ted Turner. Here are just a few of his quotes on the topic of population reduction: “A total population of 250–300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal.” - Audubon Magazine, 1996 interview “Humans are a plague on the Earth.” - Time Magazine, 1996 “We’re too many people. That’s why we have global warming… We need population control.” - Interview remarks, late 1990s Ted even immortalized this draconian population reduction goal on the Georgia Guidestones, in which he inscribed as the first and primary directive to “MAINTAIN HUMANITY UNDER 500,000,000” If population reduction is the goal of the Death Cult, what is the motive? We would charitably say that the Death Cult wants to reduce the population because they are worried about the environment. It is obvious that as human populations increase, we impact natural spaces. A higher population leads to more land being cleared for agriculture and housing needs. I would argue that human progress has demonstrated an ability to dramatically increase crop yields and city density, and that first world countries like the United States are actually getting greener in terms of forest cover. Vegetation is increasing and emissions are trending downward even through our population is increasing. However, I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt that many members of the Death Cult are motivated by the environment and especially Climate Change. But I am not convinced that it is all of them. I believe that some members of the Death Cult have much more sinister motives. Some of the more obvious sinister reasons could include: 1) Resource Hoarding: The Death Cultists could more easily monopolize things like water, arable land, rare earth minerals, and pristine swaths of wilderness. 2) Control: A smaller population is easier to surveil and control. 3) Geopolitical Consolidation: Shrinking populations destabilize societies and governments, making them more vulnerable to direct or indirect domination. In my opinion it all comes down to power. The Death Cultists could be pushing their agenda of control for what they perceive to be a noble purpose (the environment) or for sinister purposes (one world government, resource hoarding, rent seeking). The only question is, could we tell the difference? In my estimation there is no difference. The policies they would pursue would be indistinguishable. So we must either take them at their word, or we should treat the Death Cult with deep suspicion. It should be obvious how I feel about it. In my experience with powerful people, they always want more power. More ways to dominate their fellow man. More say in how the lives of other people are conducted. And they know that if someone has to die to meet the population reduction goal, it wont be them. Their friends and family will remain unaffected and will benefit from it. If we have established that some powerful members of our society openly advocate for a radical reduction of the population, and they are motivated to do so, the most important question to ask is, how would they go about enacting their plan? Obviously advocating for large numbers of humans to die would not be politically acceptable. The fastest way to achieve global depopulation would be a world war. However, this could get uncomfortable for the Death Cultists. War is unpredictable! They want a depopulated planet, but they want to ensure they are in the 5% of the population that REMAINS ALIVE. A world war can get sticky and hard to control. It is the fastest option, but also the most unpredictable. So they Death Cultists are left with slower options, ones that will take generations and that will appear to be virtuous rather than sinister. The first thing that must be addressed is the birthrate. After all, it was improvements in things like child mortality that led to the surge in global population. Less kids gets you to the same place as a world war, it just takes a few generations to work. So obviously if your goal is to reduce the fertility rate, you would do a number of obvious things: 1) Make contraception and abortions free and ubiquitous, and de-stigmatized 2) Make childcare difficult and expensive 3) Encourage both parents to work outside of the house 4) Discourage marriage and family formation 5) Discourage religiosity (religious people tend to have higher numbers of children) 6) Glamorize childlessness on social media, music, TV 7) Foment racial, political, and ideological tensions to destabilize and distract society from family and children 8) Encourage a feeling of doom and hopelessness to discourage young people from wanting children or planning for the future 9) Degrade the population’s health and sex drive 10) Encourage societal isolation 11) Encourage young people to adopt lifestyles that prevent reproduction (LGBTQ+) 12) Emphasize career and materialism I won’t bother to include a series of graphs that demonstrate that these things are happening. They are all obviously happening. They all have been happening for decades. It’s quite a simple formula…if you can trick enough women to not have a first or second child, the work is done. And clearly we are seeing this work being carried out expeditiously, in every developed county. Birth rates are plunging. BTW: I think the most insidious weapon against birthrates is the instilling of a feeling of hopelessness that is so common amongst young people. So many now say, for example, that they don't want to bring children into a world that is overcome with climate change, even though this is the best time in human history to have kids. Birthrate is the primary driver, but there are of course other ways to affect population numbers. Anything that artificially constrains the basic needs of any living organism will “help”. This means: 1) Curtailing the amount of available shelter 2) Degrading the food and water supply 3) Reducing energy availability This would take the form of attacks on farmers, attacks on critical inputs for the economy such as fossil fuels, carbon taxes, and stopping new projects such as housing, transmission lines, pipelines, etc. through regulatory obstacles and public opposition. Clearly all of these things are also happening. We daily see the “Just Stop Oil” stooges advocate for the elimination of fossil fuels, which WOULD reduce the population of the planet by half in short order. They are happening, but they are too slow, and still opposed by too many people that have the ability to think rationally. No, the Death Cult must continue to focus on the kids. Kids are the key. And here is the incredibly dangerous calculus that I do not think the Death Cultists fully appreciate: Natural systems are very difficult to predict when they are taken out of equilibrium. What the Death Cultists envision as a gentle culling of the population could just as easily lead to the collapse of our entire civilization. Or another Dark Age. Or all-out nuclear war. Or the total elimination of humans on the planet Earth. What we know from history through is that as human populations decline, they reach a tipping point where forward progress is arrested and then violently reversed for generations. That tipping point is not something that can be predicted. Anyone advocating for radical curtailing of the human population is playing with the most deadly fire possible. They must not be allowed to conduct their experiment. ---- Look, I am just one guy trying to fight the Death Cult at the most important battleground: the battle over birthrates. So what am I doing? * I mentor and coach young people through scouting, sports, internships, and entrepreneurship. * I encourage marriage and advocate for putting kids before career * I share the joy I have found in life through marriage and family That’s it. I will keep talking about this on X. I will keep talking about it on podcasts. I will keep bringing it up in innumerable 1:1 conversations. I ask you to do the same.

Adam Rossi

25,784 Aufrufe • vor 7 Monaten

And that’s a wrap on First Stand !! Incoming “I ain't reading that, happy for u, or sorry that happened” post xD First Stand Gameplay - Was pretty happy with how the lane swaps and adjustments to Atakhan worked out. Don’t know the exact number), but it felt like mostly Ruinous with games of Voracious where it made sense and no lane swaps - There was a good amount of AD/AP squishy and tank mix in each role with omega gigachad Zeka pulling out the Sylas Ahri and Akali where it made sense 🙃 - Skarner and Kalista were the outliers on priority, but teams didn’t seem particularly effective with Kalista… - Skarner on the other hand; will discuss with the team about larger work on him when we get back; he’s too effective at too many things, while also being impotent for regular players - As announced yesterday by Greeley, we’re hoping to see adaptive drafts continue with Fearless for the rest of the year, I think diversity will continue to increase as teams get better at finding lines to draft that make certain counterpick/situational champs god tier after certain champs are out; it will evolve into more of a TFT/Chess style “find the optimal line to draft with the pieces given”, which the prospects are really exciting - An improvement point feels like how long it takes to end if a team gets a significant early lead; part of this is how optimal boringly slowly choking the opponent out is over 15 min, rather than changing the incentive structure so that ahead teams can make major decisive play and can end the game swiftly - Maybe an opportunity space for the future… but interested in hearing peoples’ thoughts on this First Stand Experience - It was amazing and inspiring seeing how many fans were coming out to support the teams without tickets - Not only the KC fans who flew from Europe to do a meetup watch party and it was great chatting to a few, but also what felt like an unstoppable number of college girls coming out to support HLE. I think I counted about 100 wearing HLE jackets on finals day, but it was a reminder of how integrated and mainstream popular League feels in the East - As soon as the entry to the cheerfuls (signs) opened, they all charged in to go and start drawing their cards, it was honestly quite shocking the level of dedication and enthusiasm that some of these fans had, but also awesome - I can’t possibly imagine something like that happening in the West… - We also had the honor to play in a mini Arena tournament with a bunch of LCK Legends that have I've been watching for 15 years and didn’t do too shabby; went 6th, 3rd, 2nd, but Mingyo and Sangho were too good… - It will be the first and last time I get to say I killed Pray, Smeb, Kuro, Madlife, Shy on repeat :D and the players watching on stream were surprised to see the Devs were actually pretty decent LOL, which felt nice - A fan came out specifically to play with Kuro, wearing a ROX Tigers jersey and seeing the joy of getting to meet and play with your hero, she was laughing, smiling, it must have been the time of her life; it’s just a reminder of how meaningful League can be and just makes us really inspired to keep working hard to make the game good Solo Q Experience and Balance - Outside of the work obligations, had some time to slam 20 Solo Q games; was pleasantly surprised by my level this time around, feels like I’m playing around solidly KR D2/D1 level, which is quite shocking, because it’s not like I’m Masters level on NA right now and haven’t been able to play more than 50 games in the last 6 months due to life. Probably would've won more if I wasn't such a kda player xD - Main character syndrome still feels really peak here, the person either goes 8-0 or 0-8 and is spam FF’ing repeatedly, so minimizing my enemy laner impact, scaling and playing defensively to support my jungler feels most effective even though I’m playing Ori who feels like a dog champ on this server, since it’s so hard to actually land QW on anyone due to their mechanics and it’s risky to walk in river and so easy to die to ganks - Moving to help jungler in lost fights to avoid mental boom is the only thing that I’m finding annoying, some of these fight selections feel extremely perplexing, like Zac wanting to fight Lee at first scuttle with no prio and I end up having to sac my lane half the time to prevent them from AFK’ing or soft inting because I didn’t move, it’s super annoying… - Every post game chat also feels like at least 3 players are writing their PhD thesis, which is somewhat amusing, but also really unfortunate… - It feels like Lee Sin or Viego are in every game with a 30% pickrate, so if you can prevent the team from throwing and always follow them around and play secondary, they can carry, whereas on NA, Lee Sins in Diamond can't carry and suck relatively (ping hurts as well), so it’s not like you can play around them reliably - It was interesting to feel again for myself just how different these champs feel in their balance state across servers, indeed in one of the press conferences there was a question about balancing decisions making no sense for the state of the champ on KR server. I can see why KR players get angry when we buff Lee because the other regions suck at him, he unironically feels 2-3% winrate stronger on KR server, same with Jayce who has a monstrous pickrate here as well - We even almost buffed Lee Sin for First Stand because he’s been pretty absent from Pro, so I’m actually not quite sure what we’re meant to do about that… - The other thing that I forgot was how good it was to play on 2ms ping. I’m not sure whether it’s net positive for the person dodging or the person hitting, but since I mostly play immobile mages, it feels like I can dodge line skillshots and range leash people more effectively, which makes Mages feel so much better, though it also means it’s extremely hard to QW tag someone in a teamfight as Ori, let alone hit them with R - I’m curious if any people have done any analysis on this - I also attached typical KR Lee Sin penta 😅 Anyway, back to NA tmrw, lots of work to do

Matt Leung-Harrison

152,058 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr

What Did Otto Warmbier Say in North Korean Court, in the Presence of International Journalists and Observers? (FULL VIDEO in English) Here is his statement, his confession, and the details of the crime he premeditated: - Otto Warmbier: "First, I would like to thank you all for attending this press conference of the trial, which I requested to take place. I also want to express my sincere gratitude for this opportunity to apologize for my crime, beg for forgiveness, and plead for any assistance to save my life. On December 29, 2015, I entered the DPRK as a tourist. On January 1, I committed severe crimes against the people and government of the DPRK. Due to this crime, on January 2, I was detained and placed under investigation. My name is Otto Frederick Warmbier, I am 22 years old, a finance student at the University of Virginia, currently in my third year. My home address is ******, where I live with my family. At present, I reside in a rented apartment near my university. My father owns a small factory that barely covers our family’s expenses, my mother is a homemaker, and my younger brother and sister are both high school students. On January 2, I committed the crime of trespassing into a private and restricted area of a building and stealing a political slogan. This task was given to me by the First United Methodist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia. Growing up in the United States, I was taught by the mass media and in school that the DPRK is a mysterious and isolated communist country. This led to my youthful ignorance, as I wanted to show bravery and build my reputation by demonstrating Western victory over the DPRK. My friends had told me that the DPRK was a beautiful country with stunning architecture. They suggested that if I were interested, I should consider visiting. Based on this recommendation, I started planning my trip. In January 2016, I was scheduled to begin a university-funded course in Hong Kong, and I took this opportunity to visit the DPRK as a tourist before starting my finance course. I asked my father and brother to travel with me, contacted various tour agencies via email, and chose the cheapest one. I gave my father $800, and he agreed to pay the remaining $400 to cover the $1,200 trip at the end of December. Back in September, I had dinner at my friend Stephen Webb’s house with his mother, Sharon Webb, who is a deaconess at the Friendship United Methodist Church. She mentioned that communist nations value propaganda slogans and suggested that I take one from the country to display in her church as a trophy. She then continued, knowing that I was desperate to get a car for transportation between home and university every day. She offered me a used car and $10,000 if I succeeded. She also said that if I were detained and unable to return, her church would pay my mother $200,000 as a generous contribution, which I intended to use for my siblings’ college tuition—though this would still be $200,000 short of the total $400,000 needed. Then, she showed me the church’s bank account with $40 million. At first, I hesitated out of fear, but as my family was struggling with severe financial difficulties, I began to see this as a golden opportunity to earn money. The most important thing she told me was that I must never expose the Friendship United Methodist Church, or no payment would be made. In early October, I briefly informed my mother about the proposal, telling her that I planned to steal something valuable from the country and that if I were caught, she would receive bank transfers to cover my siblings' education. She cried and begged me not to do anything dangerous. But from then on, I was pressured multiple times by the church, and I ultimately decided to proceed with this premeditated crime. Meanwhile, the ‘Z Society’ also encouraged this act. When I learned that its members earn high salaries after graduation, I was eager to join them. In late November, I told a fellow university student and Z Society member about my plan in the DPRK. He informed me that this act would benefit the society’s goal of promoting "freedom" and ending "tyranny." He assured me that if I succeeded, he would help me join the society. However, if I were caught, they would pressure the North Korean government through their partners. Finally, he told me that I must never expose the Z Society's encouragement. After meticulously planning my actions, I arrived in Pyongyang on December 29 from Beijing, and on January 1, I committed the crime of stealing a North Korean slogan." - North Korean Court Official: "Warmbier’s statement has concluded. As you have heard, the U.S. administration is committing malicious acts against our country. If you have any questions, please proceed." - KCNA Journalist: "I am from the Korean Central News Agency. What motivation do you believe the Friendship United Methodist Church had in assigning you this task?" - Otto Warmbier: “I will now explain the motivation of the Friendship United Methodist Church in giving me this mission. The Friendship United Methodist Church is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the United States. I have known this church since my childhood because I grew up there. You can find more information about this church on the internet. It is not a typical church; it is very wealthy, and the U.S. government has strong ties with it, promoting this type of activity in countries they claim to be anti-Christian. Several Democratic politicians from the U.S. frequently visit this church to collect funds and support it in other spheres. This church even donated more than 10 million dollars to Barack Obama’s campaign in 2008, which accounted for about 3% of the former president's campaign funds collected at this church. For this reason, the U.S. government is so close to this church and promotes the kind of activity I am now involved in. U.S. politicians use churches like this to harm the DPRK. If this mission had been successful, the church would have received more support from the U.S. government. Because of this hostile policy of the government against the country, I was a manipulated victim who fell into this scheme to help my family, which is struggling with financial problems. However, since I am not a religious person, the church knew that if this came to light, they could easily deny any connection with me. I hope this clarifies the church’s involvement in my crime. Thank you for your attention.” - Journalist from Rodong Sinmun: “You said that Society Z encouraged you in this mission. Tell me everything you know about them.” - Otto Warmbier: “Thank you very much for your question. Society Z is a secret organization that operates at the University of Virginia. All its members remain anonymous. I first learned about it when I entered the university and saw many of its symbols around campus. I was told that this secret organization donates millions of dollars to the university, which is why its symbols are displayed everywhere. I know that there are at least 10 student members of 'Society Z' at the university. It is said that after graduation, all of them will become very wealthy and take on major roles in politics, business, and religion. Some well-known members of 'Society Z' include former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and a former CIA director. To become a member, one must be wealthy, a leader, and have top academic scores, as well as demonstrate significant acts of bravery and sacrifice against tyranny. Because of this encouragement, I committed this crime, and without a doubt, the CIA is aware of this influence. Finally, I would like to declare that I am a political victim of the United States' hostile policy against the DPRK. I naively attempted to obtain money through this criminal act. I am just a pawn in a system that does not distinguish between friend and enemy—only money. I hope others do not follow the same path as I did.” - Journalist from Joson Sinbo: “I am from Joson Sinbo, under the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan. You said that you carefully planned these steps from the U.S. before committing this crime in the DPRK. Can you tell me more about this?” - Otto Warmbier: “Thank you for your question. Now, I will explain how I prepared to commit this crime directly from the U.S. To learn more about the country’s slogans, I searched the internet using the keywords ‘North Korean slogan’ directly from my apartment in Virginia. I looked at about 30 images, some of them large and framed. I then thought that I could remove one of them easily, as they were large, red, and rectangular. To practice before arriving in the country, I went out onto the street and stole traffic signs, hiding them under my bed. Then, I spoke with my friend and planned possible excuses in case I was caught by the North Korean authorities. I decided that I would say I was drunk and did not remember doing it. If I was caught with the slogan, I planned to claim that I had bought it in a souvenir shop in the country. For this reason, when I was caught, my first statement was that I was drunk and did not remember. Additionally, while still preparing in the U.S., I picked out my best boots and got a large suitcase to fit the North Korean slogan inside. Thank you for listening.” - Journalist Yuri Sidorov from the Russian news agency TASS: “Tell me more about the crimes you committed in Korea.” - Otto Warmbier: “Thank you for your question. Now, I will explain the details of the crime I committed... On December 30, while still in Beijing, I asked my British tour guide where the political slogans were kept in the building where we were going to stay. She said they were probably in the restricted area of the building. When I arrived, I noticed a sign on a door on the second floor stating in English that it was a restricted area. I looked for cameras but did not find any. I chose to commit my crime at dawn on New Year’s Day, thinking there would be fewer staff working due to the holiday and the late hour. I knew my tour guide would be drunk, so I planned to use the same excuse. I then entered the restricted area of the building and searched for a slogan. When I found one, I removed it from the frame with my hands. It was much larger and heavier than I had expected. At that moment, I became very scared, realizing I would not be able to steal the slogan. However, I managed to turn it over and then ran out of the restricted area.” - Journalist from the Chinese news agency Xinhua: “You said that you are under investigation and have committed serious crimes. Did you undergo any form of torture or psychological pressure from the judicial authorities of the DPRK?” - Otto Warmbier: “Thank you for your question. I will now explain the treatment I received in the country. As an American, arrested for serious crimes, I feared I would face torture and psychological pressure, but that was completely wrong in my mind. I have received the most humanitarian treatment possible. I am being held in a place that feels like a guesthouse. I haven’t received any torture or psychological pressure. I am provided with three high-quality meals a day, I have had full medical exams, and I am allowed to walk outside for one hour every day. I even got a haircut. I sleep more than eight hours a day, and as you can see, I am healthy, but I miss my family a lot. I was very impressed with the humanitarian treatment by the government of the country and with its legal process. This is the most embarrassing moment of my life for committing a crime like this in such a friendly country. I hope that with this press conference, my family can see that I am okay and feel relieved. However, I miss them dearly. I understand the seriousness of my crimes and have no idea what punishment I may face, but I implore the Korean people and the government for forgiveness. I just want to go home.” - North Korean Court Official: “Any more questions? ... Mr. Warmbier, would you like to say anything else?” - Otto Warmbier: “I want to thank the North Korean government for giving me the opportunity to ask the people for forgiveness for the crime I committed. However, the main ones responsible for this are the Friendship United Methodist Church, Society Z, and the U.S. administration, which used me, as they have used many others before me. I am a victim of the hostile U.S. policy towards the DPRK. I wish all the young people in the United States who are watching this never to allow themselves to be used by the U.S. administration. What I saw during my trip was very different from what is portrayed in the West, where the country is shown as evil. I realized that the human rights issue of the DPRK, as presented by the U.S. government, is just an excuse to attack and harm the lives of the Korean people with the intent of overthrowing their government. I ask for forgiveness from the Korean people and beg you to see how I was used and manipulated. Please, save my life, I am the oldest son in my family. My family needs me, I made the worst decision of my life, but I am human, and I hope you will forgive me. I also want to ask the journalists to report this story correctly and help me in any way they can. I fear my family may be threatened by the U.S. government, and I beg for any kind of protection for them. Finally, I plead with the North Korean people to forgive me; I should never have been used by the U.S. government.” — END

Korean Friendship League 🇰🇵

38,071 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr

Dear David Coltart, WHY I CANNOT SUPPORT QUINTUPLE C: COLTART, CHAMISA AND CCC My attention has been drawn to your fraudulent and disgusting tweet you posted on my Twitter TL yesterday David, in which you quoted a tweet I posted four years ago on 22 January 2019 in memory of my father. I reproduce below both tweets for ease of reference: “I have always genuinely sympathized with you Jonathan - the loss of your father in such circumstances must be devastating. I just don’t understand why you continue to side with the party which brought such suffering to your family, and which still brings so much suffering.” – Tweet by David Coltart, 30 July 2023; commenting on my tweet below I posted four years ago: “1/5 On 22 January 1983 my father, Melusi Job Mlevu, was callously murdered in Tsholotsho by gukurahundi soldiers & the CIO. They tortured him upon his arrest & in front of his family; got him to dig a shallow grave, tortured him again; pumped bullets into his body & buried him!” – Jonathan Moyo tweet posted on 22 January 2019. Now David, are you really serious that you “have always genuinely sympathised with me”, because of “the loss of [my] father in such circumstances”? And since there’s no strategic ambiguity about the meaning of “always”, as it means exactly what it says, how have you “always genuinely” expressed your sympathy over all the years, since knowing about the circumstances under which I lost my father? The fact that your tweet yesterday is a response to a tweet I posted a long four years ago on 22 January 2019 – in memory of my father who was murdered by the Fifth Brigade in Tsholotsho on 22 January 1983 – shows and proves that you’re a fraud and a charlatan with neither sensitivity towards me and my family nor respect for us as Africans and human beings. All told, and typically of Zimbabweans of British colonial extraction and in particular of soul-free Rhodies, you’re contemptuous of our culture as a family and as Africans. You see David, it is fraudulent and utterly disgusting of you to claim that you have ever sympathised with me over my father’s loss. It’s actually patronising and very insulting in the extreme. Your fraud is clear even to yourself, that’s why you did not express your so-called sympathy when I first posted my tweet on 22 January 2019 in memory of my father who was murdered on 22 January 1983. In fact, until your fraudulent tweet yesterday, you had never before expressed any genuine or even non genuine sympathy for me and my family regarding the loss of my father on 22 January 1983. Even fools will immediately see that the key sentence in your tweet yesterday is not about your cruel declaration of fraudulent sympathy for me and my family over the circumstances of my father’s loss, a loss my family commemorated this year not yesterday but seven months ago on 22 January 2023, with no tweet of sympathy from you. The sentence in your tweet yesterday that captures what you really foolishly communicating to me is this: “I just don’t understand why you continue to side with the party which brought such suffering to your family, and which still brings so much suffering.” David: what I say, believe and do is without exception based on and an existential product of what I know, what I think and what I have experienced or lived. I never say, believe or do anything that I don’t know, don’t, I have not thought of or which I don’t believe. Now David, you pretend to be a democrat who believes in the rule of law as enshrined in the Constitution, so, what business of yours is my choice of what side to support or to not support in politics? Are my freedom of conscience and my right to make political choices freely now subject to your understanding, or are they my constitutional rights, as they are for every Zimbabwean, in terms of sections 60 and 67 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe? Are you aware David and do you understand that the Constitution in 67(1)(b) says every Zimbabwean citizen has the right “to make political choices freely”? And, David, are you aware that section 60 of the Constitution says every person, not just every Zimbabwean but every person, has the right to freedom of conscience which includes “freedom of thought, opinion, religion or belief”, and “freedom to practice and propagate and give expression to their thought, opinion, religion or belief, whether in public or in private and whether alone or together with others”. The fact that you quoted and abused my personal tweet I posted on 22 January 2019 in memory of my father who was brutally murdered by the Fifth Brigade on 22 January 1983 to say you “don’t understand why you [me] continue to side with the party which brought such suffering to your [my] family, and which still brings so much suffering”; shows that you are either ignorant of sections 60 and 67 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, and proves that you are a fraud and a charlatan with no constitutional values. Why do you want to police my freedom of conscience and my right to make my political choices freely? Just why do you and your lot in CCC, think that you can interfere with my freedom of conscience and my right to my political choices that are guaranteed to me by the Constitution of Zimbabwe? If you and your lot were genuine democratic change champions, as you claim and purport to be, you would be the first to understand and to propagate freedom of conscience and the right to make political choices freely as sacrosanct constitutional values and principles that must be respected for every Zimbabwean at all times. But this has not been possible because you are frauds and charlatans. Now, your attitude towards me, the one captured in the disgusting tweet you posted yesterday, leads me to conclude without any fear of being contradicted that you are a frivolous and stupid person, David. Otherwise, if you care to know, there are three months that are cruel to me. October in which I lost my daughter Zanele in 2015, November because of what happened to me, my family and some colleagues during the 2017 military coup – it was also on 11 November 1965 that Rhodesia under which you blossomed, unilaterally declared independence – and 22 January the dark day on which my father was murdered. These are traumatic days for me in the calendar year. You see, I was a student in California in the US when my father was murdered by the Fifth Brigade in cold blood on 22 January 1983, having gone to the US before independence in 1977. When this awful tragedy happened, I did not know who my father was. I was born when my mother was barely 16 years old, and I was raised by my maternal grandparents who, like my mother, did not want me to know who my father was for reasons best known to them. Although, as I grew up, I understood their position from our cultural perspective as Africans, it nevertheless profoundly pained me. Truth be told, I was most grateful and I still am to this day, that my grandfather was a great father and my grandmother a great mother to me in ways that made me who I am today. I got to know who my father was well after I had graduated with my doctorate in 1988 and long after his gruesome murder, about which I was first told only 10 years ago. Since then, while it's been a profound rebirth for me to connect with my father through the loving Mlevu clan at large, I owe my dear sister Simiso an existential debt of gratitude. Through her, my kids have a hand-holder gateway through which to know about their grandfather. I really thank God and the spirit of the Mlevu clan for Simiso. The fact that I was born on 12 January, and that my father was brutally murdered on 22 January, makes the month of January an unbearable time of anguish for me, more so given that my father and I never met in life. When four years ago on 22 January 2019 I posted the tweet that you abused yesterday with reckless abandon, as you exposed your disconnection from the African experience, I was existentially troubled by the worst that could have happened to me and to my family on 15 November 2017, which got me thinking about what happened to my father, and even more troubling against the backdrop of the events of November 2017, I was devastated by the fact that I never met my father, and I spent the better part of 22 January 2019 wondering what life could have been for me had I known him in life and grown up under his parental care and guidance. You see David, maybe this is not true of people of European ancestry like you but, for many Africans it is very common for kids to be raised by their grandparents, like I was. As things turned out, I grew up knowing many such kids as my peers, the majority of whom never got to know who fathered them, some of whom are leading very successful lives in society as you read this. Unlike them, I was fortunate to end up knowing who my father was, but I was unfortunate not to have met him, and even more unfortunate to have known of him long after his death, made worse by the tragic circumstances of that death. I do not have a fly by night connection with Zanu PF. When I finished my high school in California, I proceeded to university there for my undergraduate education on a scholarship I got through Zanu PF. While an undergraduate, I was the political commissar of the Zanu PF branch in Los Angeles. I did my masters and doctoral degrees with academic scholarships endorsed by Zanu PF and underwritten by the Government of Zimbabwe through a staff development programme at the University of Zimbabwe. Having gone through Mgagao run by Zanu PF, and having gotten university education to the highest level under the auspices of Zanu PF, I have a long history and experience with Zanu PF, and with Zanu PF people whose complexities define who I am as an adult Zimbabwean, for better or for worse. It's my history, I'm proud of it and I own it. It’s an inescapable truth that each individual, and each therefore each person has a unique existential history best known to himself or herself, family and to a small cohort that has been intimate parts of that personal history. It's hopelessly foolish for someone to hope to prescribe a history on anyone. Every human being is who they are. And it's a fact not exclusive to me that my association with Zanu PF has not always been rosy. Life is a personal struggle between the person or the individual and the social formations through which life goes on. It’s common cause, that the military coup was a traumatic experience for me and my family and that it was profoundly painful and life changing in untold ways. It’s also common cause and not surprising to any normal human being that I blamed Zanu PF for that traumatic experience. Anyone else in my situation would have done the same at point or another. Yet the bigger story is that I, my family and my colleagues survived that 2017 ordeal with the very direct, active and truly genuine assistance and support from Zanu PF people. Working with other African Angeles, and I emphasize African Angeles, it was Zanu PF people who made sure that we were able to be safe and to get out of the country to be where I am today, all of them at great risk to their lives or livelihoods. In 2017 I was saved to be alive today by Zanu PF people. During the life threatening 2017 ordeal that my family and I went through, there was not even one person associated with the opposition as it was then, or as it is today, who reached out to find out where I was or how I was doing. It is common cause, some of it is documented, that many in the opposition then and who are still in opposition today, actually wanted me dead, all because of my political differences with them. You David Coltart, who now wants to pretend that you “have always genuinely sympathised with me”, never inquired after me. That’s why I think you are a monumental fraud and a charlatan. I repeat, I was helped out of the traumatic ordeal in 2017 by Zanu PF people, not by anyone from your lot David, not even one. Of course, at some point and largely because of the 2018 general election I found myself connected with some of your lot, especially Nelson Chamisa and others who were close to him or working with him i the election campaign, as the MDC-A presidential election candidate. I will not rehash that story here, as it has been told very well by many others. From my experience, and the lessons I have extrapolated from the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo, such as on the attached video clip, I have come to better appreciate that it is a mistake and wrong to a understand and define a political party with a deep-seated background and history like Zanu PF in terms of its leadership; rather, a grounded political party with a long history is necessarily defined by its founding values, constitution and membership, not least because the membership is permanent while the leadership comes and goes. By the same token, I have come to better appreciate that the mistakes or excesses of the leadership of grounded political parties with an entrenched history should not automatically or reflexively be ascribed or attributed to or blamed on the membership. On 15 November 2022, Patrick Zhuwao and I wrote an open letter to Zanu PF members to precisely make this point. I am attaching herewith a link to that letter, lest you missed it. It’s a self-explanatory letter which contextualises and explains everything that I did and said between 15 November 2017 and 14 November 2022. It also explains why do not support Nelson Chamisa and your CCC. I stand by the contents of that letter. In this connection, I draw your attention and that of your lot to an interview done by the late VP Joshua Nkomo in 1983 – which is attached herewith as already mentioned – in which Nkomo explains why the Fifth Brigade was not a Shona issue. Although Nkomo made it clear that gukurahundi was a political and not a tribal issue, I have come to understand and appreciate that it was a political issue not in the sense of Zanu PF as a political party in membership terms but, rather, in the sense of the political leadership and, more particularly, of individuals within that leadership. However, given your utter contempt for sections 60 and 67 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, I do not expect you to understand the dangers of painting a tribe or a political party with one brush, or to understand the misguided consequences of conflating the leadership of a political party with the party’s membership or even of treating the leadership of a political party as a monolithic formation that always acts in concert. Basically David, and just like Nelson Chamisa’s trolls, it's clear you believe that you can abuse my personal and tragic circumstances to blackmail me for your doomed political purposes in two ways. First, you think you can abuse the circumstances of my father’s brutal death to somehow generate cheap and outrageous propaganda for yourself, Nelson Chamisa and CCC that I support Zanu PF which killed my father, and you do this under your self-indulgent presumption that everyone who is in Zanu PF as a political party is murderous by definition. Second, and based on this falsification, you’re abusing my tragic personal circumstances regarding my father’s loss to blackmail me into supporting you in particular, given my attack on your imposition as CCC's Ward 4 councillor candidate in Bulawayo; Nelson Chamisa and CCC . Your outrageous position is that if I cannot support you, I must keep quiet about you, under the ridiculous presumption that you’re all by definition virtuous, competent, capable, the only and best democratic alternative for everyone in Zimbabwe. On the back of sections 60 and 67 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and drawing from my knowledge, thoughts, experiences and received wisdom from the late VP Joshua Nkomo, I have dealt with your self-indulgent presumption that Zanu PF is a monolithic formation with undifferentiated leadership and membership structures, in which you take everyone in it to be murderous by definition. In light of the fact that you invited this intervention by your disgusting and intrusive tweet you posted yesterday, and because we are age mates, I conclude my rejoinder to your offensive tweet by telling you what I think about you, about Nelson Chamisa and about CCC. David, as a former member of the Rhodesian security services which were murderous and which committed unspeakable atrocities across Zimbabwe and beyond its borders into Zambia and Mozambique, you have no moral authority to pontificate about human rights or anything of the sort. You David Coltart operated in Matabeleland where you did dastardly things, some of which you narrate in your autobiography and many of which you will take to your grave untold, because you never faced a commission of inquiry to be grilled under oath about your service in the Rhodesian security services. The fact that a person like you has remained active in Zimbabwean public affairs for 43 years since independence is a huge credit to our national politics because, with your background in the Rhodesian security services, you would not have survived this long in public life elsewhere. It’s mind boggling that Chamisa has imposed you to run for Ward 4 councillor in Bulawayo, after you were resoundingly defeated in your party’s Ward 4 community candidate selection caucus in which you were clobbered and you came a distant last among the contestants. Thanks to your being power hungry, you have made it possible for everyone to see that you’re a fake democrat and a charlatan who believes in the imposition of candidates. Your criticism of what you say is Zanu PF's undemocratic practices is hollow and hypocritical. Furthermore, it’s shocking is that Chamisa is bent on imposing you from Harare as Bulawayo mayor. You don’t qualify for that position not least because you do not speak the language of the local community in Bulawayo despite having been born there 66 years ago. Unlike Members of Parliament or Senators, whose chambers conduct their business mainly in English, Councillors and Mayors work in the local languages of their local communities. For the above reasons, and as an expression of my freedom of conscience and my right to make my political choices freely, I do not and cannot support you at all David. As for Chamisa, having worked closely with him between 2018 and 2021, I came to the settled conclusion in November 2021 that he is a dictator with a very dangerous God complex, in that he sees himself as having been chosen by God to lead Zimbabwe, and more ominously, he claims to have direct communication with God who has the last word on what he should do or say in public. In politics, that’s an unworkable Jim Jones proposition. Because of his God complex, Chamisa is visible only when there are elections as he was in the 2018 harmonised general election, March 2022 by-elections and now for the 23 August harmonised general election. After he ditched his supporters in August 2018 when he called them "ma stupids" [stupid people], in January 2019 and in July 2020, his unavailability to provide leadership when his supporters needed it triggered a viral political joke that: ‘in Zimbabwe there are three things that are unavailable when you need them the most, the UN, a condom and Nelson Chamisa’. But even more telling aboutChamisa is the shocking way in which he has used CCC since its formation in January 2022, and particularly in the party’s candidate selection for the forthcoming elections, to ruthlessly purge the opposition. It's been scary and it explains why the opposition in Zimbabwe today is the most clueless and the weakest since independence in 1980. How can a democratic change champion insist on running a political party with no constitution, no structures, no bank account and no accountability? I cannot support a leader like that. There’s nothing more dangerous in politics than, a young 'popular' dictator with a God complex. My conscience and freedom to political choices freely do not allow me to support a leader like that. As for CCC, it has no ideology, no values, no constitution, no structures, no bank account, no policies and no other visible office bearers besides Chamisa, Gift Siziva, Fadzayi Mahere and Amos Chibaya; and it has not been launched to boot. There’s just no way anywhere on earth that a political formation like that can be supported by rational people with rational expectations. That’s why I cannot side with you David or with Chamisa or with CCC. You’re not “the alternative”, you’re just a worse and more dangerous alternative which can only be supported by polticidal people who do not mind moving from the frying pan into the fire! Jonathan Moyo 31 July 2023

Prof Jonathan Moyo

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